NEW YORK – To say that the Giants have been busy the past 48 hours is an understatement. The Giants could hit the 15-17 player signings benchmark by tonight if they continue at this pace. I see what Giants GM Jerry Reese is doing and it is fun to take this journey of evolution with him and guess what happens because he is not showing his hand. You must know the team well enough to come up with scenarios and quite frankly, if you’re one of those writers who has given up, don’t steal my formulas or ideas and print them as your own. I read everything related to the Giants daily. It’s like a kick in the gut when you put two and two together and check the timelines for story releases. If you want my work, pay me, don’t be a hack.

Now back to business, the Giants have made about a dozen deals over the last 48 hours and show no signs of stopping today. They know the cream of the crop is almost completely devoured by now and will make a couple more moves in my opinion by Friday night. It’s safe to say the Giants have addressed the tight end and cornerback areas considerably thus far. They also have S Chad Jones, CB Prince Amukamara, CB Corey Webster to work with too and TE Jake Ballard and TE Travis Beckum. How about signing both of the Andrews brothers (Shawn and Stacy)? Get those guys up to speed and on the field together and see what happens. I also think that signing DE Osi Umenyiora, S Deon Grant, LB Chase Blackburn are crucial for the defense and special teams group.

Let’s take a look at what has happened thus far. Giants GM Jerry Reese has solidified the cornerback position on defense. He knows the defensive line is fine but if a good deal presents itself, who knows? He knows the safety group is fine, maybe add one more. This tells me he will be attacking the linebacker group via the upcoming NFL draft. If he catches lightning in a bottle with a future LT, I think he will use the majority of the other picks on offense. I think it will be a LB or OL taken in round one this year. I hope it is another athletic linebacker to help out but at the same time think a ten year offensive lineman is needed right now. The recent roster moves also tell me the offensive line will be addressed via the draft and certainly the running back position.

Here are some of the recent signings by Big Blue this week. Some of the deals did not publicly state the terms.

NEW YORK – It didn’t take long for a new wave of emotion to rush over Giants fans since the Super Bowl win over the Patriots, for a second time, in Super Bowl XLVI. The prospects and free agents are everywhere and there are players for every position. I discussed the fact that the Giants would strike quickly in my article yesterday and the Boys in Blue did not disappoint. News broke before 10:00 AM about the team re-signing CB Terrell Thomas to a 4-year deal worth over $25 million, to the pleasure of Giants fans all over the internet. They followed up by re-signing two more cornerbacks Michael Coe and Justin Tryon. They also signed OL Joel Reinders (6’8″ 317 pounds) and TE Larry Donnell (6’6″ 269 pounds), neither have NFL experience. The entire NFL was set ablaze today with excitement and anticipation of what moves their respective teams might make. I am one of those fans on the most basic level, as we all are, and couldn’t wait to see who the G-Men picked up. Giants GM Jerry Reese does a wonderful job handling these things, even if you cannot see the impact right away, it becomes evident by the end. Jerry Reese, once again, deserves to be NFL GM of the Year!

The Free Agency madness will continue for quite a while but I expect the most damage to be done within the first 48-72 hours. After that, you are picking bones for talent. GM Jerry Reese knows this and knows it makes no difference if you pick up a guy in the first hour or last hour of free agency. The only thing that changes is the level of talent you are getting at a lower price, the further down the rabbit hole you go. I fully expected the Giants to make at least one considerable signing today in an area of need and they did. It just made too much sense not to pull the trigger. If not done by today, then I would have expected them to make two signings tomorrow. Also, prepare to have your hearts broken because there a few fan favorite players that might not be with the team next year. It’s the mathematical part of the game that hurts the most. It’s pure business but a very cold dish to serve.

The Giants have so many free agents this year and very little wiggle room with the cap space. Jerry Reese and the front office will need to make miracles happen. It would be nice to tighten up the defense a little with signing a free agent linebacker with an Antrel Rolle athletic level. But they also need to keep current Giants players under contract for long stretches. There is a lot of work to do but today was a good start. They are not done at all Giants fans, so hold onto your seat. Rumors are still swirling about TE Kevin Boss, WR Steve Smith, WR Plaxico Burress all possibly returning to Big Blue and now news of Dallas TE Martellus Bennett coming to East Rutherford for a visit. Keep an eye on the running backs and linebackers. I think Jerry Reese has made the Giants draft plan a bit clearer with these moves. In my opinion, he still needs to sign DE Osi Umenyiora, S Deon Grant, DE Dave Tollefson, WR Mario Manningham and WR Victor Cruz. Could you imagine the Giants defense if they signed Mario Williams!

Who will be the top three most important free agent signings for Big Blue?

RD – nygreporter.com

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NEW YORK – The New York Giants have been outstanding at the offensive line position for many years now. These guys have done such a good job protecting QB Eli Manning, that they have become almost an after thought. Fans could always rely on those guys to do their job and NFL fans acknowledged their superiority by voting the big guys into multiple Pro Bowls. We now find ourselves in an interesting predicament and completely unfamiliar territory with having to be concerned about the offensive line. Yes, the offensive line is the elephant in the room that nobody has talked about at length. If Eli Manning is going to continue his Iron Man streak for the most consecutive regular season starts, the offensive line is going to need a seamless transition into the new season.

One of the biggest player moves that really made me nervous was the acquisition of QB David Carr. I mentioned this is a previous article but I would like to explain to you why I am nervous. Eli Manning hasn’t really needed a true backup QB so far because he has proven to be extremely durable. A quiet tough guy if you will. With all due respect, Jim Sorgi and Sage Rosenfels aren’t exactly they guys you want running your team for any long period of time. Are the Giants concerned about Manning’s safety with this new offensive line? Do they lack confidence in the new group who will be taking over for Rich Seubert, Shawn Andrews and Shaun O’Hara? Are they concerned with the depth at that position if one or two guys fall to injury? Or did GM Jerry Reese just see an opportunity to sign a quality player familiar with the system?

The starters most likely will be William Beatty, David Diehl, David Baas, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie. The others include Mitch Petrus, Adam Koets, Kevin Boothe, rookie James Brewer and newly signed Chris White who appear to be the primary backups. There are a handful of other players on the team who will be competing for a role on the offensive line but the players I just mentioned appear to be the front runners. This is going to be the year that certain players will have to step up. I know that is an overused term but it is quite literally what will need to happen in 2011 for the Giants to stay competitive. Some have speculated that Seubert, Andrews or O’Hara could return and play for a smaller contract. With the Giants issues with the salary cap, it is a possibility but unlikely at this point.

In summary, I am very concerned about the offensive line this year. I have faith in the players talent but the lack of experience concerns me. I am also wondering how long it will take QB Eli Manning to become familiar with a new center in David Bass. If those two guys can’t get on the same page quickly, the team is going to be in trouble. If not for the salary cap issues, I would like to see the team bring in another veteran to help out this very young offensive line. Even if it were just to add depth, I would feel much better.

Are you concerned about the Giants offensive line for the 2011 NFL season?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

NEW YORK – Giants fans across the country let out a collective sigh of relief yesterday, when RB Ahmad Bradshaw agreed to the terms of a new four year contract worth $18 million dollars. This is very good news for Big Blue and basically locks down the running back position, as far as being set for the season. After the G-Men made so many moves on the defensive side of the ball, it was clear that some work had to be done on the offensive side. The Giants are set at QB with Eli Manning and they brought in former Giants QB David Carr to back him up this season. They are fine at the WR spot, even without WR Plaxico Burress returning to the team. WR Steve Smith is the final priority signing at that position and I expect that to get done soon. So the QB, RB and WR positions are set. The special teams group has also had a significant upgrade and I’m very excited to see them perform on the field.

The two offensive areas that still need work are the offensive linemen and the tight ends. The Giants did address the tight end position yesterday by signing the very good blocking TE Ben Patrick. Patrick is a big strong man who comes to New York via the Arizona Cardinals. His one year deal could mean that the team is skeptical about re-signing one of their other tight ends. Kevin Boss is still unsigned and Bear Pascoe will mostly be playing FB according to sources. That leaves TE Travis Beckum as the likely odd man out. The team will have to figure out what role Beckum will be play during training camp and make a decision based on his willingness to adjust.

We also have the DE Osi Umenyiora situation heating up to record highs. Osi made it very clear that he prefers to stay with the Giants but wants a fair contract offer. I have to say that I want Osi to stay too. Fans seem to be split on the topic of Umenyiora. Half would love for him to stay, while the other half perceive him as a trouble maker. Osi spoke to the AP last night via email and wanted to clear his name and let the fans know that it bothers him to be perceived as a “bad guy” for simply wanting a fair contract. I have to agree with him. But there is no denying that there seems to be something wrong with either his communication skills or the public relations people giving him the advice. I can understand both sides of the coin and hope the team can work something out with him.

First round draft pick CB Prince Amukamara, WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss remain the big three players who have yet to sign new contracts. The team has been battling the salary cap this entire free agency period and I’m sure that GM Jerry Reese is working on a creative way to sign these three guys. With the first preseason game just 11 days away, I hope they can agree on something soon. Be sure to check back today for any updates on team transactions.

Have you attended a New York Giants training camp practice this year? Do you plan on attending one?

NEW YORK – The Giants went back to work yesterday and continue to work on improving the team. They signed a few new players and have sent out offers to WR Steve Smith, RB Ahmad Bradshaw and TE Kevin Boss. None of the three mentioned players have signed yet but at least there is a starting point to negotiate. Signing those three offensive players is an absolute priority. Prince Amukamara still isn’t signed but the team expects to get him into camp soon, per Coach Coughlin. And NFL teams can now cease pursuing WR Plaxico Burress, who signed a one year deal with the Jets today. The Giants however, went out and signed three more players last night. Big Blue signed OL Chris White, who is a seven year NFL veteran, OL Brant Clouser who is a rookie from Villanova and TE Christian Hopkins who played a couple of years in the UFL.

Fans had an opportunity to see the players on the field last night, as the team started preparing for the season. There is a ton of work to do in a very short period of time due to the lockout. Nobody understands this better then the coaches and the players. Giants.com provided fans with some terrific coverage of the practice and activities yesterday. I encourage all of our readers to go to their site and look through the photos and videos they have there. It really gives fans an inside look at what is going on and a first look at the rookies wearing Giants blue.

All-Pro defensive end Osi Umenyiora showed up at camp last night after receiving a letter from the team notifying him they would be charging him the standard $30,000 fine per day he holds out from his commitment. Osi’s agent said he does not want to speak to GM Jerry Reese and that he still wants a new contract or trade. Osi must realize how deep the G-Men are at defensive end and the fact that they are all signed already. He must feel disrespected by this fact but continues to approach the situation the wrong way. It’s easy for us to speculate because it isn’t our money tied up but Osi still needs to have a cool head when talking to his bosses. The Giants will be back at practice this evening and I hope we see some of these guys signed and suited up to play ball.

GM Jerry Reese really deserves some credit for dealing with a bad situation. Fans have to understand that the team was $6 million dollars over the salary cap when the free agent frenzy began. I continue to see fans throwing darts at Reese for not doing enough but I ask those fans to really take a long hard look at what he has accomplished with little wiggle room. I think they will see that he addressed a lot of areas that needed work including the offensive line and punter situation. Yes, he isn’t signing the flashy names but he is certainly signing solid players who keep their mouths shut and go to work. I applaud you Jerry Reese for handling team business with a visionary approach in gaining quality players.

NEW YORK – It has been absolutely insane the past two days. Today we saw some interesting moves made by Big Blue. The first thing I would like to mention is the classy move to extend head coach Tom Coughlin’s contract through the 2012 season. Tom Coughlin deserves to remain with the team despite what the “experts” say about him being on some invisible hot seat. Coughlin is an elite head coach and a proven winner. As a fan, I am very happy to see John Mara reward Coughlin for his hard work and show how valuable he is to the organization. Congrats on your new contract coach and I hope you can stay another ten years.

Another coach that was hired today is assistant special teams coach Larry Izzo. Fans have known about this move for weeks. The Giants have been horrible on special teams the past couple of years. There is just no other way to say it. The Giants actually lost games due to the poor play of special teams and Jerry Reese took notice because he addressed that area during the draft and yesterday when he worked on the undrafted rookies. Izzo was an outstanding special teams player when he played in the NFL and spent the bulk of his career with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. He is a three time Pro Bowl player and a three time Super Bowl Champion.

The Giants were unable to work out a deal with DT Rocky Bernard, so he is expected to be released soon. This does not surprise me at all but does make me wonder if the team could have kept DT Barry Cofield if the news was announced prior to him making a six year deal with the Washington Redskins this morning. The team is going to miss Barry Cofield and I was pleased to hear they fought to try and keep him. The Giants have become very deep at the DT position with young talent but losing two veterans could hurt them a bit. The Giants are also looking to sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs and TE Kevin Boss. These three guys were in the news the most today as the front office clearly turns it’s attention to the offense. WR Plaxico Burress is back in the mix as a possibility to return and he is expected to meet with the Giants on Friday.

Let’s take a look at some of the moves/deals over the past 48 hours.

1. C Shaun O’Hara – expected to be released.

2. OL Rich Seubert – expected to be released.

3. OL Shawn Andrews – expected to be released.

4. DT Barry Cofield – six year deal with Washington Redskins.

5. DT Rocky Bernard – expected to be released.

6. Coach Tom Coughlin – signs contract extension through 2012.

7. Coach Larry Izzo – hired as assistant special teams coach.

8. OL David Baas – agreed to a deal with Giants via 49ers.

9. OL Kevin Boothe – signs two year deal with Giants.

10. WR Plaxico Burress – meeting with Giants on Friday.

How have you been keeping up with all of the transactions going on with Big Blue and the NFL?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

NEW YORK – The New York Giants had a wonderful day by any measure of success in obtaining undrafted rookies yesterday. However, they also caused some waves among Giants fans by releasing some “fan favorite” players. After the news broke about the teams plans to release C Shaun O’Hara and OL Rich Seubert, the team followed up with more bad news by not coming to terms with OL Shawn Andrews. That means three offensive linemen have been cut or released in one day. This has left fans scratching their heads because it was very evident that the offensive line needed help before these cuts. They did re-sign OL Kevin Boothe to a two year deal but he is primarily a backup. The Giants have also reportedly agreed to terms with OL/C David Baas (6’4″ 330 pounds) who played his first six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Fans have come to trust GM Jerry Reese and I’m sure he has a plan but this is asking for a whole lot of trust.

Fans awoke today to more bad news, when they read that DT Barry Cofield will be leaving the team and going to the Washington Redskins of all places. Reports have him signing a six year deal with the division rival. This is another move I just don’t understand. Barry Cofield had become one of my favorite players because all he did was shut his mouth and do his job. The coaches must have seen something that I didn’t because Barry appeared to be the only steady rock in the middle of that defensive line. I truly wish him well and hate that he will be playing across the line from us for at least six years.

The Giants have been working hard to re-sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw and believe it or not, the team had been talking with WR Plaxico Burress for much of the day yesterday. Coughlin even came out and said he did not mind speaking to Burress, which he will do today. I’m not sure how realistic it is to think Plaxico will return to New York after all of the bad things he said about not wanting to play for Coach Coughlin but crazier things have happened in the past. It is unclear who the G-Men will target in free agency after clearing up some cap space by releasing all of these players. They may have to just sign all of their own players and only get one or two free agents off the market. The Giants have just placed the offensive linemen position on top of the “need” chart by making all of these moves. I’m very surprised they didn’t take measures to replace them prior to announcing the cuts. That only tells me that GM Jerry Reese must be targeting at least one big time offensive lineman from free agency. The madness is far from over so stay tuned for more updates fans.

Are you surprised by all of the player moves Big Blue has made so far?

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